Breast vs. bottle: differences in the growth of Croatian infants

Abstract

The aim of the paper was to compare the growth of rural Croatian infants with 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth standards and to evaluate the potential preventive influence of breastfeeding on the development of obesity in infancy. Two hundred three infant-mother pairs from Baranja, an Eastern region of Croatia, were enrolled into this study. Retrospective evaluation of infants' medical charts was used to obtain anthropometric data recorded at the birth, 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age. Infant feeding mode was self-reported by mothers. Breastfed infants gained the least weight of all observed groups. Up to 6 months of age, formula fed infants had the highest weight gain and after 6 months of age, mixed milk fed infants had the highest weight gain. At 12 months of age, 6.4% of all study infants and 7.6% of mixed milk fed infants were at risk of overweight, while the same risk for the group of breastfed infants was 4%. Most of the study infants achieved higher values of body mass and length than the child growth standards. Exclusively breastfed infants, in comparison with other study groups (formula fed infants, mixed milk fed infants and cow's milk fed infants), had lower weight-for-length z-scores during the first year, which suggests that breastfeeding may have a preventive impact on obesity development.

Exclusive breastfeeding rate and factors associated with infant feeding practices in Indonesia

“…Normal, n(%) Undetermined, n(%) Abnormal, n(%) 425 (91) 32 (7) 11 (2) 302 (86) 35 (10) 14 (4) 0.996 85 (25) 53 (19) 21 (15) 15 (12) 4 (1) 30 (11) 30 (22) 17 (14) 70 (21) 80 (29) 40 (29) (25) 83 (20) 48 (16) 25 (21) 18 (32) 30 (7) 32 (10) 11 (9) 8 (14) 117 (29) 71 (24) 32 (26) 16 (29) 405 (35) 159 (20) 15 (21) 80 (10) 1 (1) 205 (25) 31 ( (41) 115 (19) 59 (22) 73 (12) 8 (3) 143 (23) (18) 71 (18) 51 (24) 7 (19) 5 (15) 35 (17) 21 (5) 13 (6) 6 (17) 9 (27) 47 (23) 123 (31) 51 ( (46) 16 (80) 13 (17) 34 (23) 79 …”

“…5 Studies in Italy, 25 Israel, 26 and Croatia 27 found that growth patterns of breastfed and formula-fed children were different. Breastfeeding may have a preventive impact on development of obesity.…”

Early Life Programming of Obesity: The Impact of the Perinatal Environment on the Development of Obesity and Metabolic Dysfunction in the Offspring.

“…Thus, in some studies formula feeding has been linked with faster weight gain than breast-feeding, and increased risk of obesity later [e.g. [115][116][117]]. These findings are controversial and clouded by confounding factors such as socioeconomic status and lifestyle factors, or that the weight differences are short-lived [118], but there is some evidence to suggest that it is the nutritional content of the formula that confers this risk.…”

Predictors of growth in children based on 2007 Korean national growth charts

“…Breast‐feeding may promote lower body fat levels in infants, which reduces the risk of becoming overweight and obese later in life 10,13,28 . Previous studies in Croatia and Turkey suggested that, from 6 to 12 months, breast‐fed infants have a lower weight for height than bottle‐fed infants 29,30 . In addition, a seven‐country study of breast‐fed infants reported very similar growth patterns in the first year of life 31 .…”

“…10,13,28 Previous studies in Croatia and Turkey suggested that, from 6 to 12 months, breast-fed infants have a lower weight for height than bottle-fed infants. 29,30 In addition, a seven-country study of breast-fed infants reported very similar growth patterns in the first year of life. 31 It has been suggested that breast-fed infants develop mechanisms for regulating their energy intake compared to formula-fed infants.…”